Bridging the Gap in Long COVID Care: Identifying Core Competencies for Primary Care Curriculum Development and Evaluation

Background There is an unmet need for Long COVID care within our healthcare system. Primary care clinicians (PCPs) face challenges in providing effective care due to limited relevant Long COVID training and lack of standardized clinical resources. Pre-CME (continuing medical education) survey data indicates that 62% of clinicians experience difficulty diagnosing and managing Long COVID. There is a need for competency-based curricula to equip PCPs with tools for interdisciplinary, patient-centered care. Methods A mixed-methods Delphi needs assessment process was designed to gather stakeholder input to guide the development of Long COVID core competencies. Participants were recruited through word of mouth and completed a 30-minute survey on barriers and facilitators for Long COVID care, case scenarios, and topic preferences. They also participated in a 1-hour Zoom focus group using an unstructured question guide to review survey responses, which were then analyzed with summary templates and a matrix analysis. Results The study enrolled 26 participants, 21 of whom also participated in focus groups. Areas of convergence and divergence in participant perspectives were used to inform development of core competencies that ultimately could be categorized in alignment with the six competency-based domains defined by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Conclusions This study establishes a consensus-based framework of competencies for PCPs managing Long COVID, reflecting the condition’s evolving nature and the importance of continuous, relationship-centered care. Implementing these competencies in training and professional development can enhance care quality, standardize practices, and improve outcomes for patients facing complex, multisystem health challenges.